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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · coach · stock · board · chair · pop · shower · pit

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stock — shares
  3. rock — a stone
  4. shower — rain
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pop — soda
  7. stock — goods
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — a leader
  15. board — a committee
  16. rock — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. shower — to wash
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. board — to get on
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com